Power semiconductors are used nowadays in many areas of technology, e.g. industrial automation technology. In order that the corresponding power semiconductors or the circuits realized with them are made manipulable, they are generally integrated into a housing, e.g. composed of plastic. Arrangements of this type are referred to as semiconductor modules and are e.g. contactors, motor starters or the like. During operation, power semiconductors cause heat losses that can lead to their continuous heating and—if the heat that arises is not dissipated—to their destruction. The heat loss is generally dissipated preferably by way of an air cooling system or else by means of a water cooling system which is coupled to the power semiconductor. For heat dissipation, corresponding cooling systems have to be pressed as well as possible on to the power semiconductor or a part that is thermally coupled thereto. One location of this type is generally the carrier layer, e.g. a printed circuit board composed of ceramic (DCB—direct copper bonding).
In the case of large quantities of heat to be dissipated, e.g. in converters, it is known for the power semiconductor and the cooler to be screwed to one another. By way of example, the generally quadrangular printed circuit board is screwed by means of a screw at each corner on a heat sink. In this case, as a result of the screws being tightened nonuniformly, a tilting can be brought about between cooler and power semiconductor, which can lead e.g. to fracture of the printed circuit board. Moreover, screws can be forgotten or tightened incorrectly or not at all. A final inspection of a correctly tightened screw during the manufacture of a semiconductor module is extremely costly. As a result of the settling of the screw head on its support, e.g. a plastic housing of a semiconductor module, a loss of prestress can occur over time and the contact pressure between cooler and printed circuit board can become impermissibly low. Moreover, screwing together cooler and power semiconductor necessitates drilling or thread cutting in cooler and printed circuit board.
For lower-power semiconductors, e.g. in the case of microprocessors in PCs, it is also known to clamp a cooler on to the semiconductor by means of clamping springs. The corresponding clamping springs may be forgotten during mounting. For the clamping springs to engage, corresponding receptacles at which clamping clips or the like find a hold are generally necessary both on the cooler and on the semiconductor or semiconductor module. This requires an additional manufacturing step during their production.